Contact device for electric cars.



G. W. CARR.

CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

APPLICAT ION FILED APR. 4, I914.

Patented May 16,1916.

WITNESSES:

A TTORNEZ GEORGE W. CARR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CONTACT DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed April 4, 1914. Serial No. 829,652.

To all who) it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. CARR, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Contact Device for Electric Cars, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a contact for electric cars and has for its object the production of a contact device in which a number of independently movable contact fingers will take the place of the ordinary trolley wheel or collecting brush.

The form of device shown in the drawings is intended for use in connection with a car running upon an elevated track in which the supply conductor is arranged below the car. The use of my invention, however, is not limited to such form of car.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form of contact device made in accordance with my invention, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Like marks of reference refer to similar parts of the several views of the drawings.

5 represents a frame which is adapted to be secured to the bottom of the car (not shown) by means of the block 6 of insulating material, said block being secured to the upper face of the frame 5 by any suit able means. Projecting downwardly from each corner of the frame5 is a post 7. Mounted in these posts 7 are a pair of parallel rods 8 upon which are pivotally mounted the contact fingers, each of the contact fingers consisting of a body portion 9, preferably cylindrical in form and made of copper or other good conducting material, and a T-shaped member 10. These T-shaped members 10 not only provide means for pivoting the fingers to the rods 8, but, at the same time, provide means for spacing the fingers so as to insure their remaining at the proper distance apart. The fingers 9 bear by gravity alone upon the supply conductor 11 which is arranged between and nearly in the same horizontal plane with the rods 8.

It will be evident that as the fingers 9 bear upon the conductor 11 only by their own weight, the amount of friction and consequent wear upon the fingers and conductors will be slight, at the same time the use of a number of fingers insures proper electrical contact between the fingers and conductors at all times. In order to obviate the passage of all the current through the joints between the T-heads and the rods 8, I secure in the post 7 above the rods 8, bars 12 and connect each of the T-heads 10 to one of the bars 12 by means of a flexible conductor 13. The conductor 13 may be secured to the T-heads 10 and bars 12 by means of screws 14L or in any other suitable manner. These flexible conductors 13 do not in any way interfere with the pivotal movement of the fingers upon the rods 8 but furnish a suitable path for the current around the pivotal joint. It will be noted that the alternate contact fingers are pivoted at opposite sides of the conductor 11. This not only secures a symmetrical device, but, at the same time, distributes the wear evenly on the conductor 11.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lettors-Patent of the United States is:

1. In a contact device for electric cars and the like, the combination with a supply conductor, of a frame, a pair of rods carried by said frame, and a plurality of fingers, each of said fingers comprising a body portion adapted to bear upon the conductor and a T-shaped head forming an elongated bearing for pivoting the finger to one of said rods.

2. In a contact device for electric cars and the like, the combination with a supply conductor, of a frame, a pair of rods carried by said frame, a plurality of contact fingers each comprising a body portion adapted to bear upon the supply conductor and a T-shaped head pivoted to rods, and flexible conductors secured to said contact fingers and to the frame.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

e. w- CARR. a 8.]

Witnesses:

W. A. ALEXANDER, G. M. SHORE.

copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner 01 Istents, Washington, D. 0." 

